[nagdu] Muslim cab drivers: not a slam on their beliefs

Tue Feb 22 08:50:47 UTC 2011

I hope the tale end of your message was jesting. If you're comfortable with 
what works for you, to heck with those who get their nose bent out of joint. 
Kudos, lady!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 5:00 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Muslim cab drivers: not a slam on their beliefs


> Lisa,
>
> It does indeed.  As a protestant, I have a hard time not seeing the devout
> Catholic practice of counting on a rosary as anything but obsessive
> compulsive.  It has meaning to those who do that, but not to me, so I 
> don't
> truly get it and it seems odd to me.  So, perhaps, with the hand washing.
> Or the kneeling to pray at certain times; I don't truly grasp the prayer
> hours for some devout Catholics, either.
>
> Still, the actions have meaning for those practicing them, so I can't 
> judge
> those things by my lack of true understanding of the meaning.
>
> To go further into the flipside point of view, some people think I'm
> neurotic and obsessive about certain things involving my guide dog.  This
> was more true when she was an impressionable young thing, because I chose 
> to
> be very strict in training proper etiquette and following many of the
> program rules for guide dog users.  Now I've learned where I can relax 
> with
> her and can say "Pshaw!" to all those stupid rules.  /smile/  Those stupid
> rules being the ones that we don't need to practice to the letter in order
> to be a smoothly functioning guide dog team.
>
> The rules we *do* need to follow at home, at play and at work, I am still
> quite cheerfully neurotic, obsessive and rigid about.  Getting into the
> habit of fudging on those will get us hurt or killed, so I am devoted to
> keeping those rules!  If you want to tell me how screwed up I am to be so
> uptight and unbalanced about some little thing that doesn't matter, feel
> free to tell me all about it!  I'll ignore you and stand between you and 
> my
> dog if you're trying to break the rule for me.  But you can tell me anyway
> if it makes you happy.  /grin/
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Lisa Irving
> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 4:58 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Muslim cab drivers: not a slam on their beliefs
>
> Actually, if I'm not mistaken, it's five  times on each hand for a set
> number of times per day. In our culture, we see this behavior as odd and
> compulsive. Funny how cultures perceive one another.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 3:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Muslim cab drivers: not a slam on their beliefs
>
>
>> Is it just me, or does the washing unclean objects/body parts/etc. seven
>> times sound a little obsessive compulsive?
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 18, 2011, at 6:42 PM, Lisa Irving wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Hi Dan,
>>>
>>> It can be exasperating when some one perceives their religious
>>> preferences supersede the law.
>>>
>>> I've discussed this matter; guide dogs riding in cabs driven by Muslim
>>> cab drivers. A Muslim friend of mine explained to me their hand washing
>>> rituals and why they frequently engage in this ritual. I get it. She 
>>> also
>
>>> told me that the drivers who are insistant  that they won't transport a
>>> dog of any type, tends to be devout about his beliefs. Nevertheless, she
>>> agrees with me that such beliefs should not over ride laws. Together, we
>>> came up with a viable solution. I haven't been in a position where I 
>>> have
>
>>> tried this.
>>>
>>> I'm all right carrying handy wipes and offering them to the devout
>>> Muslim. It's a gamble. The devout Muslim faith isn't going to disappear
>>> anytime soon, nor are my rights as a person with a disability. So,
>>> finding common ground and the middle plane seems to make logical
>>> sense. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Weiner"
>>> <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 3:16 PM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] And that reminds me of the cab driver issue
>>>
>>>
>>>> And on the subject of cab drivers, it is patently ridiculous that
>>>> someone's
>>>> supposed religious concerns should even be an issue for us. I'm
>>>> referring to
>>>> the Muslim cab drivers you mentioned.
>>>> It just shows that our rights as blind people mean much less or nothing
>>>> at
>>>> all when compared to some idiot cab driver.
>>>>
>>>> Dan W.
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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